Geneseo Earns STARS Silver Rating for Sustainability

GENESEO, N.Y. - The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education has recognized SUNY Geneseo with a silver rating through its Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS®), a self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. The rating indicates significant leadership in sustainability initiatives on campus.

Colleges qualify for the rating in three main categories: Education and research; Operations; and Planning, Administration and Engagement. Innovation credits are also awarded for schools who have initiated new and path-breaking practices and performances not covered in the other evaluation categories. The college earned a bronze rating last year.

"This is a clear indication of the emphasis Geneseo is placing on sustainability and I applaud everyone on campus who has helped us gain this recognition," said Darlene Necaster, SUNY Geneseo's environmental health and safety officer and co-chair of the president's Commission on Environmental Sustainability. "It's a commitment we have made as part of our liberal arts mission to educate our campus community on responsible approaches to conservation."

Necaster gives credit to Eve Anderson, a junior English literature major, for assembling the necessary information to submit the report. Anderson also is pursuing a double minor in environmental studies and Native American studies.

AASHE is a member-driven organization with a mission to empower higher education to lead the sustainability transformation.